CitroJim's AX, C3 Picasso, Cycling and Running Tales

[holmedog]

It sounds like a fun packed weekend at your place. I just thought i would have a look at your blog to try and learn more about the man who seems to know everything about the activa. Even when i call into the citroen main dealers for parts they don't seem to have any mechanics with the knowledge and wisdom you seem to posses.

As you have probably guest by reading some of my posts i know very little about the cars apart from one thing they are absolutely awesome.
At some point i will have to meet you ,xac and some of the others who have given me great advice. I am trying to do the best i can with my Activa but with money being tight with two young kids,most of the time i have to pay someone to do the jobs tha require special tools. This frustrates me a little because i wanted the car so i could do any work on it myself. But maybe one day she will be 100%.

[CitroJim]

A really great and lovely trip to Aberystwyth and back yesterday to bring Robyn home for the summer. As she's moved out of halls now we also brought all her stuff back. I was faced with a mountain of stuff that never looked like it was all going to fit A bit of tetris and it was all in. I've never seen a Xantia hatch so loaded

Rattiva did a sterling job and so did the aircon! Running all the time... She's now well past 205,000 miles...

The trouble with me going there is my longing to live there increases...

Sian's Pixo passed the MOT on Friday and has been re-taxed for another year. £20!!! Silly... MOT cost more than the tax. Wish insurance was as cheap...

Paul's Old V6 failed the MOT Emissions are a tad high. I'll be taking a butchers' on Tuesday.

Off to get my V6 ready for her trip to Somerset later today and her special duty on Monday.

I've not looked at the forum in several days due to workload I shall try to catch up later today...

[DickieG]

Paul's Old V6 failed the MOT Emissions are a tad high. I'll be taking a butchers' on Tuesday.

Take a look at this recent Wheeler Dealer video from 6.20, looks like an interesting process that may sort it out relatively cheaply.

[CitroJim]

Typical of that horribly objectionable character to go for Snake Oil rather than doing the job properly...

Wheeler Dealers would be quite good if it were not for that Brewer bloke. What's the deal with his spannerman's hair

[xantia_v6]

Paul's Old V6 failed the MOT Emissions are a tad high. I'll be taking a butchers' on Tuesday.

My V6 has a lazy cat, and will only pass the MOT CO test if the cat is really hot. HCs are perfect, as are the COs after running the engine at 3000+ RPM for a couple of minutes. Fortunately my local MOT tester is quite sympathetic to old cars.

[DickieG]

Typical of that horribly objectionable character to go for Snake Oil rather than doing the job properly...

If it does the job of cleaning the injectors etc without having to go to the hassle of removing them, it sounds rather a good idea to me

[CitroJim]

Robyn, Sian and I are now down in Somerset in a TravelBodge for the night before going onto Taunton in the morning. Just come here to rest after seeing dad and discussing tomorrow... Gosh, these Travelodges are soul-destroying places. I have a lovely view of the A303 from my window

We had a lovely ride down in the V6, forgot what a lovely car that is on a long run Sian reckons it's smoother than her Pixo

Typical of that horribly objectionable character to go for Snake Oil rather than doing the job properly...

If it does the job of cleaning the injectors etc without having to go to the hassle of removing them, it sounds rather a good idea to me

Call me old-fashioned Richard but I don't trust magic cures that are poured into the engine and promoted by a slippery customer like Mike Brewer; he's wider than the Atlantic ocean... He's the kind of person I have to strongly resist the urge to shake warmly by the neck. I saw him live at the NEC once. I had to leave...

Paul's V6 is suffering high HCs. I will report back on Tuesday as to what we find...

[Northern_Mike]

Call me old-fashioned Richard but I don't trust magic cures that are poured into the engine and promoted by a slippery customer like Mike Brewer; he's wider than the Atlantic ocean... He's the kind of person I have to strongly resist the urge to shake warmly by the neck.

I can't stand Brewer either. I'd egg you on..... but only as long as I can have a couple of kicks after you've finished..

[CitroJim]

I can't stand Brewer either. I'd egg you on..... but only as long as I can have a couple of kicks after you've finished..

All back home again after a good trip in the V6...

Life can now return to normal. Or at least what passes for normal around here...

[CitroJim]

Had a good look at Paul's V6 this morning (Old V6) and yes, she was definitely a bit rich. I could smell it and there was a touch of soot in the tailpipes and that's definitely not normal for a V6. I compared with my own. Mine neither smells and the tailpipes are rusty inside.

We swapped the plugs although the old ones looked OK despite their 30,000 miles on them and checked the HT leads. Swapped the air filter and checked for manifold leaks by idling the car with the airbox off and blocking up the idle air intake. The engine stalled quickly showing there was no air getting in anywhere else.

A Lexia session showed the oxygen sensor has recorded at least one instance of an open-circuit oxygen sensor since the last time I looked when the same fault showed. Both times the fault cleared and the Lexia shows a more or less normal output from the sensor if not a tad on the sluggish side.

After a good run I was pleased to detect no smell from the tailpipe and no soot. I smelt long enough that my glasses steamed up!!!

Back for a retest on Friday but not before I have slipped my Lexia on again to see if the oxygen sensor fault has reappeared. If it has then I'm recommending Paul replaces it.

I'm wondering if the ECU registers an oxygen sensor fault it then ignores the sensor and runs a default value that might be a little rich? Anyone know?

[addo]

If it's logged a permanent fault, yes.

[xantia_v6]

Even a temporary fault will cause rich running, as the sensor really only detects a mixture that is too rich, and the ECU then leans out the mixture until the sensor is reading about 50% rich and 50% lean.

[CitroJim]

Even a temporary fault will cause rich running, as the sensor really only detects a mixture that is too rich, and the ECU then leans out the mixture until the sensor is reading about 50% rich and 50% lean.

That is exactly what is happening Mike. Paul returned from Yorkshire yesterday and his tail-pipes were a little sooty and his exhaust a little smelly. The Lexia showed the intermittent oxygen sensor fault again and although it cleared the sensor was almost static, just hovering around 0.5v with occasional small excursions toward the rich end of the scale.

Paul is getting hold of a new sensor and then we'll fit it. he managed to bag a Bosch one for £43 from carparts4less.co.uk

In other news, the happenings of the past few weeks have caught up with me and I'm presently absolutely exhausted. I've not been on here for three days at all and last evening I fell asleep on the bed at half past 6 and woke up a good 12 hours later I still feel exhausted but a little less then I did! Energy levels are hovering around zero

I shall do my best to try and catch up in the next few days. Thanks goodness we have a long bank holiday weekend and it can rain as much as it likes as far as I'm concerned. I'm just resting. I want to be fully fit for DSM

[CitroJim]

Had a good bit of fun replacing Xantia_V6s front wheel bearings yesterday... So much for a rest day

Both ABS sensor bolts sheared and needed careful drilling out and re-tapping and both old bearings were very happy where they were.

The poor old press red-lined at 10 tons several times before they decided it was wise to take the hint and get moving. So much force was needed that both gave a spectacular spray of exploding balls as the top inner race forced itself through to the bottom race. I ended up will balls all over the workshop.

My poor old press, after a good number of fights, really is looking the worse for wear. The movable press-bed has a distinct bow in it and I've now turned it upside-down to try and un-bow it

Still, it's an invaluable tool and has worked hard these past few years. One of those tools it would be impossible to live without now...

Today I really am resting

[addo]

A friend once accidentally crushed the steel fuel line under his car in a concealed location. Would barely start, let alone hold a fast idle. Before he'd found the damage, he complained "I've got pressure but no flow".

This, I pointed out, was the Bachelor's Lament.

Along such lines, I am sure this fellow would empathise with your balls exploding.